Displaying posts labeled "Outdoors"

The perfect marriage of sophistication and rustic style, of old and new, humble object and high end statement piece. Stone and straw play against the gloss of lacquer and hints of gold. While the dichotomy provides the drama in this Mediterranean Townhouse by Spanish designer Serge Castella, the contrast is more curated than clashing. Imagine living surrounded by such beautiful things.

I really have no words for how absolutely breathtaking this property in California by Ferguson Ettinger Architects is. So I’ll leave it to landscape architect Jeffrey Gordon Smith to tell the story of this dream: In the heart of a historic drought, this new home overlooking the clients’ 72-acre vineyard in the Paso Robles wine region called for a water-wise landscape that could further enhance their stunning property. Applying a subdued color palette accentuated with Mediterranean grasses and timeworn olive trees, the new landscape anchored and blended the home into its surrounding environment. Delicate plant textures that flutter in the wind softened the modern hardscape and architecture; creating a striking balance between the built and natural environments. Large drifts of drought tolerant grasses allowed for sweeping views to continue past the property line, to the clients’ vineyards and the rolling hills beyond. The grasses were also selected to mirror the native vegetation as it fluctuates through the seasons, creating a strong sense of connection with the region. Using rugged boulders and gravel in conjunction with clean hardscape pavers, the project brought a fun California twist to the traditional modern aesthetic.

I’m stalking again. Walking down virtual streets, peering through the virtual nets and basically just being a virtual busy body. I love to see how people live even if it is a striped back and tidied up look to make the real estate listing photos just so. Today’s house in the Melbourne suburb of Armadale sports a late 19th century facade but a very modern rear addition and pool. The link to the listing is here while it lasts.

It’s an all too familiar scenario. An iconic mid century home (in this case with interiors by A. Quincy Jones and Billy Haines) had been “developed” so that what remained bore little resemblance to its former glory. Enter Jane Hallworth and her team who set about “… restoring the architecture and interior palette back to an homage of earlier iterations under the auspices of these two design masters. Together, with an exacting client, we curated a furniture collection that would befit one of the most prestigious houses in Los Angeles without trying to pastiche or erode the original design intentions.” A truly stellar renovation, Brody by   Hallworth.

Just a short post today. I’m crazy busy picking up, dropping off, dragging furniture from room to room. Changes are afoot in my house and this is the weekend that all the grunt work gets done. How, oh how I wish I could take a seat in this Notting Hill garden. Just for few minutes, the time it takes to drink a coffee. When it comes time to return to the lifting and lugging my body might still ache but my spirits will be high. Such a lovely verdant oasis in the city by Luciano Giubbilei.